Running. Think about that word. What kind of feelings bubble up when you think about running?
For me, I get a whole panorama of feelings: health, pride, freedom, accomplishment, dread, insufficiency, pain, guilt, repetition, horror, sorrow. Yeah, it runs the gamut. This Nike commercial hits all those nails on the head, and I love it for that reason:
Outside the box, right?
The one thing I don’t associate with running, however, is FUN. No way have I ever thought to myself, “what is the most fun thing I can do right now? Oh yeah: RUN!” Eating copious amounts of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and spritzing myself to suffocation with all the fragrances at Sephora always trump my urge to go for a run.
But watch out, because I’m about to turn your world upside down.
There’s a 5k in town that’s changing the way you’ll feel about running. They’re making it fun, and they’re doing it with fantastic COPY and BRANDING! No kidding. It’s called The Color Run (peek at their website; it might change your life), and this past Saturday morning at the ripe hour of 8:00AM (in blistering humidity, mind you), I ran about 3.1 miles and I had a smile on my face the whole time. The concept is simple: each kilometer, you are showered with a non-toxic powder in a different color. By the end, you are covered from head to toe in the stuff (I think I still have some behind my ears), and then you party. They give away boatloads of free stuff while the DJ amps up your post-run endorphin high with the hottest top 40 jams. The party area is packed with photo-op signboards that say things like “high five” and “run baby run”, creating the perfect backdrop for any instagram picture.
When running a business, it’s so important to think about your ideal client. It’s like creating a vision board of what you want in life (didn’t you ever watch Oprah?). And it’s a great way to figure out your niche. My business is all about writing for creative, outside-the-box, fun companies, and The Color Run is an example of an ideal client for me.
So I’ve come up with some better taglines that are just screaming to be plastered all over these signboards. Hey, Color Run people, pay attention. You might want to use some of these:
-Tickled Pink. And Yellow. And Green.
-You got a little schmutz on your face.
-Looking a little blue. And loving every minute!
-Hey mom. I just ran through a rainbow.
-Glad I wore my old sneakers.
-Do I have something on my face?
-This town painted us.
-I see the world through rainbow-colored glasses.
-Happiness. It looks like this.
Ohhh, puts a nice taste in your mouth, doesn’t it? Just a little taste. And I have an even better idea in the works that deserves it’s own hashtag. So, hey if you’re one of the big kahunas over there in your rainbow thrones at The Color Run offices, email me. I love what you do and I’d love to be part of it.
Brittany Paige Copy 